Celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month with NZDSA and join our online conference Together Against Loneliness. Hear from national and international speakers as we explore connection, belonging and support for people with Down syndrome and their whānau. 3rd – 21st October 2026 Weekday lunchtime sessions: 12.00 pm–1.00 pm Evening sessions: 7.30 pm–8.30 pm Saturday sessions: 4.00 […]
Alex’s Good Life – How Did It Happen? Alex will share his personal journey towards creating his Good Life and how he made it happen. He will share what a Good Life means to him, the importance of having choice and control in his life, and what he has learned along the way. Drawing on […]
My Life in The Far North Working at Rawene hospital as a Patient Support Assistant and my life living in Taheke which is in the Hokianga. Presenter Talia Leach Self-advocate Biography I am hard working and put my job first, caring, bright woman, sensitive and supportive to my patients needs and respect my work managers. […]
Leadership and agency through Dance Over 25 years Jolt has built a community of dancers with intellectual disabilities, their whānau, wider disability groups and mainstream organisations. Our work focuses on the individuality of the dancer, rather than their diagnosis. We believe dance has the potential to empower, create equitable spaces, and challenge deficit perspectives about […]
Finding Your People: How to Create Community In this presentation Brigit will tell us what the research says about the impact of loneliness on health and wellbeing. She is also going to talk about ways to find “your people” and create a sense of community in your own life. Presenter Brigit Mirfin-Veitch, Kaiuruki Matua – […]
What your other children without Down syndrome are thinking Sibling Issues for Parents Through a series of interactive exercises, parents will explore what questions, needs, and concerns are often raised by children who have a brother or sister with Down syndrome. Parents will come away with practical answers to commonly raised questions. This presentation draws […]
Together, Not Alone: Supporting Relationships, Connection and Belonging for People with Down Syndrome Loneliness is more than being alone—it is often the result of barriers to belonging, connection and meaningful relationships. In this session, Claire Ryan from To Be Frank will explore how families, whānau and professionals can support people with Down syndrome to build […]
Empowering Support for Breastfeeding Mothers of Babies with Down Syndrome The World Health Organization (WHO) recognises breastfeeding as a critical component of infant health and feeding, and this offers numerous benefits to babies, including those with Down syndrome (World Health Organization, 2019). This presentation examines the evidence supporting the unique advantages of breastfeeding for infants […]
IHC Disability Election Forum Register here IHC Election Event Registration 2026 - Join us at the Vote for Inclusive Futures Event Theme: Advocacy Audience: All welcome
The Power of Sport: Connection, Belonging and Participation Fran will share how sport creates opportunities for friendship, belonging, confidence and participation, and the difference this can make in the lives of people with Down syndrome. Presenter Fran Scholey Chief Executive Officer of Special Olympics New Zealand. Biography Fran Scholey is the Chief Executive Officer of […]
“Rights and Belonging” How practical understanding of rights can combat loneliness Matt and Brian will explore, using practical examples, how knowledge of rights and how to use them can reduce and combat loneliness. Whether it’s knowledge that you have the human right to connect together, how you can use education to learn about friendship, or […]
Connecting with Volition We all want connection. An important part of this is communicating to others the things that matter to you. This session will show how the Volition app can help you share what is important to you with other people. We will also look at the Whaimana website about Supported Decision Making and […]